Waking Dream
by Clumsy Clicker
Summary: Slight romance, slight Father Son, slight angst, slight obsessiveness and a slightly darker Vlad. This one's got a little bit of everything and is twice as twisted. Now Rated T for Terror. No DannyxVlad just some Master/Apprentice, Father/Son thing. Enjoy
1. Waking Dream

**Waking Dream**

Danny shuddered in his sleep as a cool vapor escaped his lips. A tall shadow loomed over the teen's bed its blood red gaze pouring over Danny's sleeping form.

_Where to begin, where to begin_…

The dark figure leaned down until his face was only inches away from the boy's. He smiled to himself in the darkness, a sort of Cheshire grin. Danny's face was so peaceful when he was asleep. He looked even younger than what he was, more like 10 then 15.

The light of the full moon drifted in from the nearby window covering the boy's angelic face making it shine with pure innocence. The figure sighed, his breath ghosting over Danny's lips.

The boy really was something to behold, ghost powers or not. His soft midnight black hair always seemed to fall perfectly across his forehead contrasting with his smooth milk white skin and gorgeous baby blue eyes.

The dark presence brushed Danny's choppy bangs out of his eyes before caressing the teen's soft cheek with the back of his hand.

Danny truly was a cute boy, especially one of 15 years. The boy's face was not sharp or fine featured in the least but rather gentle and soft featured. In a very adorable boyish kind of way.

Danny sighed quietly in his sleep nudging his face into the gentle hand.

Yet still irrevocably beautiful. There was something pure and innocent about Danny's face. The kind of face he would've wanted his own son to have…

The figure backed away shaking his head fiercely. Now was **not** the time to be thinking about that. It was much too late to turn back now and if he got lost in his thoughts now it would be sunrise before he knew it and he would miss his chance.

He would, Not, Let, That, Happen. He had waited for this moment far too long, before the boy was even born. Twenty years was a long time. Longer still when you had no one to share them with. To have no one know you beyond what you pretended to be on the surface, no one to share in your affliction and truly understand what you're going through.

Even with every small victory of learning and mastering his powers there was no one beside him to rejoice in the success of achieving each new skill, and worse yet no one to teach them too. No one he could even show them too…

_That's all about to change_…

The very first time they had met he was drawn to the boy, similar to that of a magnet meeting its polar opposite. And he couldn't understand why until he found out that Danny, the unfortunate offspring of that oaf Jack Fenton, was the ghost boy.

It all made sense. How else could there be another hybrid unless it had a connection to Jack, the idiot that had **accidently** turned _him_ into this creature caught between the living and the dead.

Poor boy… He didn't yet realize what all was in store for him being a halfa. The power he would soon be struggling with and the rejection and loneliness that would come with it.

But that would not be the boy's fate or _his_ any longer.

Danny had rejected him the first time he offered to train him and really he should have seen it coming. It wasn't as if the boy really knew him or could trust him, especially with the fight they had gotten into just the night before where he all but beaten the boy with one hand behind his back.

And telling the teen that he had to renounce his father in order to join him wasn't the best ultimatum either.

He had just assumed that the boy would be all to grateful to be rid of his imbecile of a father as well as having someone else like him who could teach him all that he needed to know about his new found powers.

But that was just the problem. They were "_new found_" powers. The boy barely understood how different he was from everyone else around him and had not yet tasted from the bitter cup of loneliness that _he_ had been forced to drink from for twenty years.

But looking back on those memories the shadowy figure smiled. He was sure that the boy had felt the same connection to him as he had to the boy. The way Danny smiled up at him the night of the reunion when he had walked up to him and had put his hand on the teen's shoulder. And how Danny had been all too happy to go fetch the "_present_" he had left in the lab for Jack. As if the boy already had a desire to please him.

He would do anything now to see that desire in the boy again. To see Danny look up at him with the same pleasant surprise in his bright blue eyes and that sweet smile on his lips.

And if this was the only way to do it, so be it.

Carefully and ever so gently the dark figure began to pull the blanket off the ghost boy's sleeping form. But because of his presence the poor little badger was already cold and quickly pulled on the blankets to keep them on top of him.

With an apologetic look the shadowy form turned the blankets intangible leaving Danny slightly bare, wearing only a thin cotton shirt and baggy pants. Danny shivered again a little more forcefully than before as another cold vapor slipped past his chattering teeth.

He hated to see the boy suffer like this but it had to be done and it would only be for a few moments. After tonight the teen would no longer be stuck sleeping in an old bed, with a flat pillow and thin blankets and pajamas. Soon he would be sleeping in a large king sized bed with think blankets and full pillows being treated like the prince he really was.

Looming over the fragile boy he took a moment to study him up close, something he rarely got the chance to do what with all their meetings turning into battles. Danny's slim frame was still shaking, his body curling up slightly into a ball for warmth. That would never do.

Slowly pulling the boy's arms and knees away from his chest the figure carefully pulled the boy back to where he was laying on his back, his arms by his sides. Picking up Danny's right hand in his own he traced a finger along the back of the boy's smooth hand.

The boy's skin was so pale and delicate that if he looked hard enough he could see the blue veins underneath the surface. Such soft skin would probably bruise easily, luckily though Danny seemed to be a rather fast healer. Whether that was from the boy's ghost powers or simply his persistence to keep fighting even after injury he wasn't sure though it was amusing to think about.

He could easily mark one of the boy's hands. It would heal fast and the boy would notice the mark as soon as he woke up. Or perhaps he could mark the boy in a place where he wouldn't notice right away. Maybe the back of the teen's neck?

The ghostly presence gave a wicked grin at the thought of Jazz's reaction at seeing _his_ mark on the back of Danny's neck. She wouldn't know it was his mark of course but it was still amusing to think of all the sputtering questions she would ask her little brother about why he had gotten a tattoo of some sort.

But no. As amusing as that would be he wanted Danny to be the first to see his mark. The boy would no doubt try to cover it up and hide it until he found out what it was and how it got there but that didn't bother _him_ in the slightest. The boy would find out soon enough how it got on his body and what it meant for him.

_But where to put it?_

The dark creature's red eyes widened as the perfect spot came to mind. Releasing the boy's hand he began unbuttoning the teen's thin cotton shirt. One by one the buttons came undone and little by little Danny's smooth hairless chest was revealed.

_Perfection_.

Floating above the sleeping teen the figure lowered his face to the boy's chest, for a moment listening to Danny's heart beating evenly. Turning his face the figure's mouth descended down, fangs sinking into the soft flesh.

Danny hissed at the feeling, his hands griping the sheets. But the ghost didn't stop.

Sharp canines slipped into the warm flesh until lips finally touched skin and then came the real pain.

Warm. Hot. Too hot. It felt like melted candle wax was being poured into his chest. Danny tried to will it away even as he remained asleep but the feeling kept flowing into him.

_He_ concentrated hard as he pushed his ghost essence into the teen's body, feeling more at one with the boy than he ever had. His essence dripped out of his fangs like venom staining the boy's flawless skin with a most beautiful mark. _His_ mark.

Slowly he pulled his fangs out of the boy knowing his work was done. And there, right above Danny's heart, was a magnificent picture perfect mark, almost like that of an emblem. It wasn't very large, probably about the size of Danny's fist but it was beautiful all the same.

It was mainly round but struck the ghost as being somewhat heart shaped and inside it was an intricate web of twisted threads like the roots of two different trees coming together and becoming one.

The figure reached down his hand to touch it and the mark glowed a bright neon green as his hand hovered over it.

Now any ghost that got near Danny would sense this mark and know that the boy belonged to someone. And any ghost that knew him would know that it was his essence that marked the boy. And that Danny was _his_ and no one else's.

After running his hand over the mark and feeling the boy's heart beat he slowly bent down and placed a chaste kiss on the boy's chest, right over his heart.

_You're mine now_…

Looking up at the boy's face Danny seemed completely at ease now and no longer shivering. Was that because of _his_ essence in him?

Brushing Danny's bangs aside once more the figure placed a soft, loving kiss on his forehead.

"Good night my little Daniel." He whispered, lips brushing against the teen's ear.

The figure covered the boy with his blanket for good measure and gently tucked him in.

Moving over to the window the ghost took one last longing look at the sleeping angel and gave the gentlest smile his fangs would allow. "I'll see you in the morning."

**Wow. That was a little scary… O_o**

**Soooo, were you able to guess who the mysterious figure was?**

**If you couldn't figure it out then you seriously need to watch the series over again.**

**There's no real story behind this or any real plot for that matter. This was just something my insane brain cooked up and decided to share with all of you.**

**I'm sure I could come up with some kind of story for this but it might be a dark one. Just warning you.**

**But as always, REVIEW! Tell me what you think! **


	2. Waking Nightmare

**Thanks for the great reviews everyone! Especially from you Sholay!**

**I still don't know how this story will go but I'm willing to give it a shot! So here we go with-**

**Chapter 2: ****Waking Nightmare**

Weird. Danny stretched his arms and legs out as far as they could go, his light blue eyes fluttering open. Weird, but nice. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so soundly. It seemed as though he hadn't moved in his sleep at all throughout the night.

The teen let out a contented sigh.

But wait… What was…?

Danny's brow knitted together as something in the back of his mind started bubbling to the surface. Had he… dreamed of something last night?

The ghost boy slowly sat up in his bed, eyes staring straight ahead in concentration. Yes, he had dreamed of something last night, but what was it?

The dream itself was very cloudy. No shapes or colors really came to mind when he tried to remember what had happened in it. But he did remember the feelings he had inside the dream, odd as it sounded.

Cold. Yes, he remembered feeling very cold, icy air touching his bare skin. But then he felt warm. Too warm in fact. It had actually burned him. Or at least, it felt like it was burning him.

Burning pain. It coursed through him for a minute before gently cooling down like a slow dying flame leaving a comfortable warmth in its place.

Then there was a voice. A voice that might have made him shiver if he hadn't been so snug in his blanket. It echoed in his mind, "_Good night my little Daniel_." It was a soft coo, something close to a gentle caress, but the voice itself was deep and haunting. "Good night _my_ little Daniel." As if sealing some sort of promise.

Danny shuddered, rubbing his arms as goose bumps erupted on them. What a weird dream. But the cold shiver disappeared as soon as it came, a strange warmth in his chest quickly spreading and taking its place.

Danny absentmindedly rubbed his chest only find that his shirt was open wide and that-

"AHHHHHH!"

There was a tattoo on his chest.

The raven haired teen fell off his bed in panic sputtering things like, "W-W-W-What i-i-is… H-H-How d-did…?"

However his unintelligible sputter was soon cut short as he heard rushing footsteps up the stairs coming towards his room with the unmistakable sound of his dad's voice shouting, "GHOST!"

"_Oh No!"_ Danny quickly buttoned up his shirt as fast as he could managing to cover up the tattoo just before his parents burst into the room.

"Where is it? ! Where's the ghost? !" His father boomed holding up a large silver gun.

"Danny what's wrong? ! What happened? !" His mother cut in rushing past her husband to get to her son.

"N-Nothing! Nothing's wrong!" Danny said defensively.

"What's going on? !" Jazz asked looking more frightened than both her parents. "I thought I heard Danny scream."

"I didn't scream!" Her little bother argued. Only girls screamed after all. His was more of a manly yell. Yeah, that's was it.

"Did you fall out of bed Sweetie?" Maddie asked noticing the blanket still wrapped around her son's waist even as he sat on the floor.

"Y-Yeah, that's it." Danny answered quickly getting to his feet holding the blanket up to his chest as if his shirt might suddenly turn invisible. "I was just got a little freaked out because, because…"

"Because there was a ghost in your room!" Jack finished, his gun ready to fire. "Where did it go son? ! I'll get that spook and tear it apart molecule by-"

"NO!" Danny shouted a little too forcefully. All three pairs of eyes stared at him. "I mean, there wasn't a ghost. I just had a nightmare or something. But it's fine now! No more nightmare and certainly no ghosts so ummm, if you guys could maybe…" The teen pulled the blanket up even higher, his cheeks turning pink as if his family had burst into his room while he was naked.

"Oh!" Jazz's face lit up in understanding. "Come on you two," Jazz said pushing her parents out of her brother's room. "Let's give Danny a little privacy, he is a teenager now, you can't just going bursting into his room like this anymore."

Maddie started to protest but luckily Jazz already had them out and was closing the door leaving Danny in the silence of his room.

The ghost boy sighed in relief letting the blanket fall to the floor.

"Ok," Danny whispered to himself slowly. "None of that really happened. It was just a dream and when I take off my shirt there won't be any tattoo." He stated as calmly as he could trying to convince himself that it had all been fake. That there had been no ghost in his room last night whispering things to him in his sleep and that there wasn't a black knot printed on his chest.

Closing his eyes tightly Danny blindly removed his shirt and tossed it aside. Then, peaking one eye open, he looked down and paled in horror.

There, right over his heart, was a web of black strings twisting and knotting together like two threads being knit together as one. Danny's heart doubled in pace. H-How did this happen? WHEN did it happen? ! Danny lightly traced the tattoo with his finger half hoping it would rub off like magic marker.

It didn't. Instead it glowed, much like his eyes would when he would become angry or change into Phantom. A bright neon green shined through the tattoo as if there was a glow stick in his chest and the light was seeping through the cracks.

Danny slowly removed his finger and the light slowly died turning back to its dull black color once more. The ghost boy leaned on his bed for support, finding it hard to breath.

What was this thing? How did it get there and _why_ was it there?

The teen experimentally traced his finger along one of the threads on his chest and the tattoo glowed brightly once more.

Did this have something to do with his ghost powers?

Danny let out an annoyed little sigh. Of course it had to do with his ghost powers. It wasn't as if he would wake up with a glowing tattoo on his body if he were a normal teenager. But what did it mean? Was he getting a new ghost power?

The ghost boy had a sinking feeling that wasn't the answer. Aside from the strange tattoo on his chest he didn't look or feel any different.

Well, aside from…

Danny shook his head. Why now of all times did he feel like going out flying?

That was one thing he couldn't make sense of. He had just woken up from a strange dream, found out he has a tattoo on his chest and screamed, or um, _yelled_ so loud that his entire family came charging into his bedroom.

And yet there was a feeling in him that told him to change into Phantom right this second and fly out of his bedroom and go looking around Amity Park.

Looking for what, he had no idea.

"Ugh, this is too weird, and I fight ghosts."

**Meanwhile…**

Vlad Masters stood in his overly large pallor room gazing out a window at the beautiful Wisconsin landscape.

But it wasn't the scenery he was enjoying.

A smile tucked at his lips. It wouldn't be long now. He'd give it an hour maybe two before he would see Danny Phantom flying over the horizon.

He chuckled softly at the thought. The boy would have so many questions. First would be the mark on his chest of course but that would bring up many others.

Do you have anything to do with this?

What is it?

Why is it on me?

What's going to happen to me?

And Vlad, being the patient man that he was, would let the little badger go through his string of questions before answering with a question of his own. Something along the lines of, "Why Daniel, I'm surprised at you. Barging into someone's home unannounced and accusing them of such things." He could already imagine Danny glaring at him but that glare would soon disappear as soon as he asked, "What makes you think _I_ had anything to do with this, my boy?"

And that simple question would be the start of Daniel's undoing. It would make the boy stop and think about why he believed so strongly that it was _him_ behind the cause of the mark. It would make the boy wonder he had so desperately wanted to see _him_ and ask him for his help, for his guidance.

The start of Daniel's undoing and the beginning of their alliance. Danny wouldn't realize that the mark on his chest was a lot more than just a sign of possession. It was _oh_ so much more. Daniel would be drawn to him now like a moth to the flame. The magnetism he had felt towards the older halfa when they first met would be increased a hundred fold until the boy couldn't bear to leave his side.

And best of all, Danny won't want it any other way. None of it will be against the boy's will. Danny will _crave_ his companionship just as he craved the boy's. With Vlad's essence in the boy they were connected now by something even thicker than blood, a bond that could not easily be broken.

And while Danny can't stay away from him, he'll win the boy over. He'll teach Danny all he needs to know about his ghost powers, spend quality time with him, (something Vlad knew his parents didn't have time for what with their obsession of ghosts taking up all their spare time) show the boy genuine care and even _love_ and everything else would fall into place.

No more villainess schemes or trying to force Danny into joining him. By the time the week was out Danny would be his obedient apprentice, his loyal protégé, and his adoring son.

There would be a few bumps here and there of course. Vlad was not naïve in any sense of the word and certainly wasn't expecting the little hybrid to join him immediately. Daniel was terribly stubborn and thick headed, but that only made his loyalty all the more precious. For the man knew that once the boy had set his heart and mind on something there was no changing it, especially when it came to loyalty.

It was Danny's loyalty that kept him loving and adoring his parents despite their hatred of anything spectral and ghost-like, and his loyalty to Amity Park that kept him risking his life on a daily basis for a town full of ungrateful citizens of which most despised him.

And so once Daniel realized that _he_ felt a genuine love for him, that _he_ accepted the boy just as he was unlike so many others, (his parents included) and that _he_ only wanted what was best for him, (which consequently was being by his side) then Daniel would have no reason not to be loyal to him.

If anything the boy would be more devoted to _him_ than anyone else, Vlad being the only one who could ever fully understand and care about him as a whole.

Vlad walked away from the window, a tranquil smile on his face. It won't be long now…

**Back at the Fenton's**

Danny was on edge. It wasn't hard to see. Especially not for Jazz.

First was Danny coming downstairs wearing a gray hoodie two sizes too big for him that he had hardly ever worn before. (He was afraid someone might see the black tattoo underneath his thin white shirt) Second, Danny couldn't seem to sit still, even when he was eating breakfast. It was like he had an itch on the bottom of his foot that he couldn't scratch.

Danny just kept tapping his spoon against his cereal bowl while impatiently tapping his foot at the same time as if he was waiting for something important.

Jazz also noticed how Danny seemed to keep rubbing his chest through his overgrown hoodie as if he had something uncomfortable underneath.

"Uh, Danny?" Jazz asked puzzled. "Is something bothering you?"

Danny just kept staring down at his cereal deep in thought and rubbed his chest again.

"Danny!" Jazz reached over the table and grabbed his wrist trying to get his attention.

"What? !" Her little brother snapped pulling his hand away.

"I asked you if something was wrong." She replied, that annoying look of worry on her face. "You won't sit still and you keep itching your chest. Do you have a rash or something?" She reached for the zipper of Danny's hoodie only to have him push his chair out and back away.

"I don't have a rash Jazz! I'm fine!" Danny snapped clutching the front of his hoodie defensively.

"Well you sure aren't acting like it!" The redhead argued back but her face quickly softened. "I'm just trying to help Danny. If something's wrong you can tell me. You know you can trust me."

"There's nothing wrong Jazz." Her little brother replied irritably picking up his untouched cereal and throwing it away. "And I don't need your help either. I can take care of myself." He added stubbornly.

Jazz looked at her brother sadly for a moment. "You don't have to do everything on your own Danny." She said softly. "Everyone needs a little help from time to time. Even you…"

"And how could _you_ possibly help me?" Danny asked a little sharper than he intended. Jazz's turquoise eyes widened. "You don't even understand what I'm going through…"

"Danny…"

"Look I gotta get going or I'm gonna be late for school." The raven haired boy stated quickly and paced out of the kitchen without so much as a glance at his sister.

Jazz stared down at her feet and sighed. "I would understand if you just tell me…"

**I hate ending chapters on a sad note but there it is. I hope it's good so far. Next chapter Danny will be at school and he'll tell Sam and Tucker about his "tattoo".**

**Hehehe, Danny doesn't know what all that mark is going to do to him but he's already feeling the effects. And for as clever as Vlad thinks he's being, he doesn't know all the effects it will have on Danny either…**

**So stay tuned to find out!**

**Review and let me know how I'm doing so far ok! I NEED encouragement!**


	3. Feeling the Effects

**Thanks for all your reviews! They're my bread and butter. o_- On second thought, they are my cookies and milk. Yeah, that sounds better. ^-^**

**Now onto chapter three!**

**Chapter 3: Feeling the Effects**

Danny decided to walk to school. It gave him some time to clear his head as well as walk off some of the excess energy he was feeling. Not too mention it made it much easier to avoid any questions from his parents about his choice of wardrobe on such a sunny day.

Unfortunately our favorite little hybrid could not as easily avoid his friends.

Pacing down the hall Danny could see his friends already at their lockers wearing their usual attire which for Sam consisted of a slimming black and purple outfit with combat boots and for Tucker a plain mustard colored shirt complete with a red beret and his own pair of brown leather boots.

Danny rubbed the front of his gray hoodie nervously as he approached them.

"Hey Danny, what's- _whoa_," the goth girl paused taking in her friend's appearance, the baggy hoodie nearly swallowing him. "That's a new look for you."

"What? Oh yeah! I just thought I'd wear something different for a change." Danny replied, his cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink at his own lame response.

"A hoodie?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I mean, it is kinda cold outside isn't it?" The teen asked faking a shiver.

"Actually I think it's only 60 degrees outside." Tucker stated innocently. The techno geek reached into his pocket pulling out his trusted PDA and began tapping at the screen with a small pen. "Yup, only 62 degrees." He confirmed with a proud smile. "And we all know technology wouldn't lie to us. Would you girl?" Tucker cooed to his PDA.

Sam rolled her eyes dramatically before turning her attention back to Danny. She stepped closer to the raven haired boy till they were close enough to lock arms and leaning in toward him said in a hushed tone, "Are you sure you're not cold because of your ghost powers? You know, your ice core acting weird again."

"Y-Yeah that's it!" Danny replied struggling to keep the blush off his face. With Sam so close it was almost like she was whispering in his ear…

_Stay focused!_ "My ice core is just spreading to the rest of me or something." _That was just stupid! Could you think of a dumber answer? !_ "But I'm fine, really. I'm sure I can wait it out." He forced a smile.

"I don't know Danny…" Sam said softly, worry written across her features. "Maybe you should go see Frostbite. Tucker and I can cover for you."

"Yeah dude, if you try to wait it out it'll probably just get worse." Tucker added seriously, his PDA long forgotten. "Just go see Frostbite and we'll cover for you. It's not like we haven't done it before." The teen smiled reassuringly.

"Really guys I'm ok!" Danny said a bit too forcefully causing both his friends to stare at him. "It's not that bad, really." He said a little calmer. "Besides, if I miss another day of school the principal might call my parents _and_ I still have two tests I need to make up."

"Well," the goth girl started to speak only to be interrupted by the school bell ringing.

"Come on, we're going to be late for class." Danny said hurriedly all too eager to drop the previous subject. _Saved by the bell_…

The three rushed to their first period classes without any further discussion but Danny couldn't help feeling even more restless.

Why had he rejected the idea of going to see Frostbite so strongly? True, it wasn't his ice core that was bothering him but surely with all of Frostbite's wisdom the snow ghost would be able to tell him what was wrong. The abominable might even be able to explain what the tattoo was and how it had gotten on him.

But for as much as the ghost boy might've gained in visiting his loyal friend it wasn't worth the trouble of going _out there_ to see him.

For some reason the thought of entering the ghost zone filled Danny with fear and dread. He felt uneasy just thinking about it.

Besides, deep down even though Danny knew Frostbite might have the answers he was looking for the teen felt no real desire to go see the ghost. The thought made Danny feel slightly guilty but all in all it was the truth.

He didn't _want_ to see Frostbite. He didn't want to go out of his way to visit the snow beast, selfish as it sounded. In fact, Danny didn't want to be bothered with any ghost. Not Skulker or Technus, or Ember, or Walker, or even Box Ghost. Instead he was silently praying that they would all leave him alone if just for this one day.

Well, all expect for…

Danny shuddered, not in disgust but in excitement. He quickly shook his head ridding himself of the thought. With all these strange thoughts and feelings why would he want to go see…

_Vlad_.

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Danny stifled yet another groan as his math teacher continued going through all 20 questions on the blackboard. Danny never really enjoyed math class. He never had a head for numbers and so math class always seemed so boring and trivial to him.

But this was just painful!

It felt as though sharp nails were scratching against the chalkboard of his brain making the teen want to tug out his hair and curse whatever genius thought it was a good idea to use letters in place of numbers.

But instead the ghost boy merely sighed and continued doodling in his notebook as he stared at the clock above the teacher's desk willing it to move faster.

So far only 10 minutes had pasted. Only another 20 to 25 more to go.

Danny shifted in his seat, the restless feeling building up inside him once more. His pencil scratched at the paper beneath it faster creating a small detailed picture though the teen didn't notice it. He was much too focused on the clock.

_Tick_. Another minute went by.

Danny sighed again this time long and loud and rather dramatically. His teacher didn't seem to appreciate it.

"Mr. Fenton!" Mrs. Williams snapped.

"Y-Yes Mrs. Williams." Danny jolted to attention.

"Since you seem to find my teaching so boring," Danny winced at her tone, her sharp eyes piercing him through thin glasses. "Perhaps participating with the rest of the class might help you stay more focused."

"Ummm…"

"Do number 15." She snapped pointing to a very complicated problem on the board. "It shouldn't be too hard considering we just went over how to solve it." Mrs. Williams stated smoothly her tone all too knowing.

"R-Right." Danny leaned forward slightly as if getting a closer look might help him solve the problem. It didn't.

After 30 seconds Mrs. Williams sighed. "You _are_ allowed to look at your notes if you have to Danny."

"My notes?"

"Yes, the notes I told everyone to start taking at the beginning of class." Her tone grew sharp again. "That is what you've been scribbling in your notebook this entire time, isn't it?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"Well…" Danny slowly lowered his eyes down to his paper expecting to see mindless doodles and misshapen shapes. But what he saw was much worse.

_Vlad Plasmius_. The name was written all over his notebook in different styles and shades. Even more shocking was that the ghost boy hadn't hesitated to add his own name right beside or underneath the other hybrid's name.

_Vlad Plasmius_ and _Danny Phantom_.

A scream caught in Danny's throat, his face drained of all color.

There, in the midst of all the fluttering names was a small detailed sketch of himself and the older hybrid. Danny might have actually been impressed with his own drawing skills if the picture hadn't freaked him out so much.

They were hugging. The teen screamed in his mind as he desperately wanted to in real life. Forget hugging! They were practically snuggling! Or at least Danny's character was.

Danny had drawn himself pressed tightly against Vlad's chest as the older hybrid's arms wrapped around him protectively, a tranquil smile on both their faces. Another odd quality of the already unreal picture was that Vlad was in his ghost form while he, Danny was not.

It almost made it seem like he _wanted_ Vlad to protect him.

"Sometime today Mr. Fenton." An irritated voice broke through the air shattering Danny's thoughts and causing his mind to go blank.

"I'm sorry," the teen replied flatly forcing his head up to see his teacher's annoyed expression. "What was the question again?"

Several students began chuckling and giggling at the innocent question which only succeed in making Mrs. Williams even angrier.

"The answer is 52." Mrs. Williams admitted begrudgingly not wanting to waste anymore class time on one ill prepared student. "I'll be assigning you some extra homework tonight Danny so you can practice these problems a little more. And I will be expecting some improvement by tomorrow. Understood?"

"Yes Mrs. Williams." Danny replied softly, red blossoming on his cheeks.

"Very good. Now class, back to solving…"

Mrs. Williams' voice quickly faded as Danny looked back down at his masterpiece.

He wanted to destroy it. To scribble over all of it again and again until on one could make out what had once been there. To tear it out of his notebook and rip it up into confetti and throw the confetti into a roaring fire.

He wanted to, he really did, but he just couldn't… There was something… something special about the picture and the young halfa couldn't bring himself to harm it.

Danny stared down at the picture with a strange sense of longing. A longing he had never felt before.

The tattoo on his chest started to tingle. Not in a painful or irritating way but in a comforting sort of way sending warm waves through his body. The pulsating warmth was a welcomed change from his freezing ice core but it did little to relieve him of the sudden aching in his chest. In his heart.

It felt like someone had punched a hole straight through him and just as suddenly he began to miss Vlad. So very, very much…

XXX Line Break XXX

Danny had made it through most of the school day and even past lunch. He didn't eat much though. There was a gaping hole in his chest after all, not in his stomach. He had sipped at his milk and pushed around the peas on his tray while trying to distract himself in a conversation with his friends but it helped very little.

He did however manage to mask his true feelings from both Sam and Tucker and so their worries had at least been washed away for the time being.

Danny might have felt some relief from that too had it not been for the discovery he made soon after lunch.

He had gym class next.

Gym class meant locker rooms.

Locker rooms meant getting undressed.

Getting undressed meant revealing the all too noticeable tattoo on his chest and the possibility of his parents getting a very worried phone call from his gym teacher.

_Oh great… What's the point in having ghost powers when I can't even make myself invisible at time like this?_

"Danny? You coming?" Tucker asked over his shoulder when his friend hesitated outside the locker room doors.

"Yeah I'll be there in just a minute," Danny replied nervously clutching the strap of his gym bag. "I just left my history book in my locker so I'd better get it for next period."

Tucker gave him a puzzled look but nodded, "Alright, just be careful dude. You know what'll happen if Mr. Burke catches you." Danny nodded as Tucker turned and walked into the locker room.

Danny let out a sigh of relief. _That wasn't so hard._ All he would have to do now is go into the bathroom, get changed, and then walk into gym class as if nothing was wrong. The halfa turned on his heel only to take one step forward before-

_OOF!_

He walked right into a brick wall. "Mr. Burke!" Or at least it felt like a brick wall.

"Danny Fenton." Mr. Burke's voice rumbled making him sound like a hungry grizzly bear. "And where might you be running to this period?" The gym teacher was no doubt trying to sound inquisitive but all Danny heard was a growl.

"I was just going to get my history book, I forgot it in my locker. So umm, if I could just…" The teen tried to slowly maneuver around the bulky teacher, a little voice in his head telling him not to make any sudden moves.

"But it isn't history class you have this period, is it?" Mr. Burke grabbed Danny roughly by the hood of his jacket and easily dragged him pass the gym locker doors. "I honestly expected something a little more clever from you Fenton." The gym teacher stated matter-of-factly as he stopped in the middle of the locker room, still gripping Danny's hoodie in his large paw like hand. "When a student tries to skip my class they at least come up with the excuse of _"not feeling well"_ (Mr. Burke rolled his eyes at this) so that they can hide out in the nurse's office."

"Really?" Danny asked looking hopeful. "In that case, I think I have a stomachache." The raven haired teen wrapped his arms around his own waist as if in pain. "A really _bad_ stomachache." He faked a wince.

Mr. Burke threw his head back letting out a rumbling laugh but suddenly cut it short all traces of humor gone from his board face. "Nice try." He released his hold on Danny's hoodie and starting walking away toward the gym entrance. "Now hurry up and get changed. You've all got three minutes." He said carelessly over his shoulder.

Danny sighed drudging up to his locker where Tucker stood already dressed in his gym clothes.

"I tried to warn you." The darker skinned boy jested lightly. Danny was about to reply with a simple, "yeah, yeah" when an all too familiar voice cut in. It was loud and obnoxious, and could only belong to one person.

"What's the matter Fentina? Don't feel like running laps today?" _**Dash**_. The bulky pea brained teenager was leaning up against the locker next to Danny's, a smug look on his face.

"Not right now Dash. I'm not in the mood." Danny replied in annoyance not even bothering to look at the larger teen.

Dash frowned slightly at the little loser's uncaring response but Danny didn't notice it as he set his books in his gym locker closed the door and turned away with his gym bag still in hand. Danny started to walk away only to feel a rough hand grab his shoulder and pull him back. "And where do you think you're going?"

"To the bathroom." Danny growled back. "Is that ok with you?"

"I don't think so Fen-Toad." Dash smirked. "Coach doesn't let anyone get changed in the bathroom. Everyone has to change in the locker room, even wimps like you." The football star sneered and Danny had to fight to keep his eyes from flashing green with rage. "Unless there's something you don't want us to see. What're you hiding under this thing anyway?" Dash yanked on the hood of Danny's jacket harshly pulling the smaller teen back and nearly choking him.

"C-Come on guys let's not start this before gym class!" Tucker said quickly rushing to the aid of his friend. "I'm sure we can settle this later in a game of dodge ball." The cyber nerd suggested hoping to get the blond to reconsider and continue his bullying later, (with any luck a teacher might be around.)

"Stay out of this geek. This is between me and Fenton." Dash shoved Tucker into one the lockers as easily as swatting away a fly. Tucker hit the locker with an echoing slam leaving a large dent in the metal before falling to the floor with a soft groan.

"Tucker!" Danny rushed to help his friend only to be yanked back like a dog on a leash.

"Now, where were we?" Dash asked smirking down at the struggling teen. "Oh right, finding out what you're hiding under here." The blond reached for the zipper of Danny's gray hoodie but the halfa's voice made him stop cold.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Danny warned but it sounded more like a threat. Dash looked at the smaller boy's face surprised at how serious he now seemed. "Trust me Dash," Danny continued his eyes hard and cold as ice. "It isn't worth you going to the ER."

Dash's eyes widened as all the other boys in the locker let out a long, "oooooooooo." Big mistake. Dash wouldn't back down from an obvious challenge like that.

"We'll see about that!" Dash slammed the smaller ninth-grader against the lockers ready to rip the hoodie off the mouthy teen if he had to. But it was coming off, along with the rest of his clothes. Dash wouldn't stop until he humiliated the loser as much as possible before gym, and since the little wimp didn't want to take his clothes off in front of anyone the football player would strip the smaller one down to his boxers and see just what he was trying so hard to hide.

That sounded all good in his head… but Danny had other plans.

The tattoo on his chest nearly burst into flames as Dash started to pull down the zipper on his hoodie with a great deal of struggle. Everything inside him screamed in protest as he kicked and writhed in the blond's grasp desperately trying to ignore the mantra of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" going on all around him.

He wanted to "go ghost" so badly it almost physical hurt. To have those blessed white halos appear at his waist and cover him until he saw Dash's face light up in terror. To turn intangible, fly outta this place and never look back.

He wanted to but knew he couldn't. It wasn't worth blowing his secret.

However, it might be worth it just to get DASH'S HANDS OFF OF HIM!

The hulky blond finally managed to pry the hoodie off of him but luckily his white shirt was thick enough to hide the black markings underneath. But Dash didn't stop there.

"Now let's see what you're hiding under here Fentina." Dash sneered as he started to lift the hem of Danny's shirt past his stomach.

The heat in Danny's chest rushed through his body in one powerful pulse as he opened his mouth to scream when-

"MR. BAXTER!" A hefty voice roared throughout the locker room immediately silencing everyone and everything within a five mile radius. "What do you think you're doing to that boy? !"

"U-Ummm, I…" The usual look of stupidity spread across Dash's face. He glanced between the threatening teacher and the pale boy still in his grasp as he struggled for words. "I-I-I wasn't doing anything." He finally answered quickly releasing Danny.

"Oh really?" Mr. Burke asked looking less than impressed, hairy arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah Coach, they were only fooling." Kwan rushed into speech.

"Is this true Mr. Fenton?" Mr. Burke turned his attention to the teen.

Still overwhelmed by what had just taken place and the strange feelings now simmering down inside him Danny nodded slowly rubbing his chest almost timidly. "Yeah… just fooling around."

Mr. Burke paused for a moment clearly surprised at Danny's response but quickly shook it off saying, "And why is Mr. Foley on the ground?"

"I'll help him up!" Dash volunteered instantly. The blond easily helped the techno geek to his feet saying something like, "There you go buddy! You're alright!" And poor Tucker, still clearly dazed could only a mutter a "thanks" as he staggered over to Danny's side.

"Now everyone get out on the track!" Mr. Burke shouted. "Thanks to your friend Mr. Baxter you can all run fifteen laps!"

"Awwww…" The entire locker room groaned as a few students punched Dash in the arm.

"Now get moving!" The locker room emptied out in a hurry expect for Tucker who was weakly clutching the back of his head. "Just go out there and sit on one of the benches Foley. I'll let you sit this one out." Mr. Burke stated in a surprisingly kind voice that made even Tucker's eyes widen.

"Thanks Mr. Burke." Tucker smiled before staggering out of the locker room.

With the room almost empty the gym teacher turned to Danny and sighed. Walking over he calmly placed a hand on the teen's shoulder and said, "I don't know what just went on in here Danny but I'm sure I don't want it to happen again anymore than you do."

Danny hung his head. He knew what Mr. Burke was doing. Now that everyone was gone he wanted him to tell the truth. But how could he?

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"Yeah," Danny replied slowly still keeping his gaze fixed on the tiled floor. "I think I need to go see the nurse." He lied.

Mr. Burke removed his hand letting out another sigh. "Alright Fenton, go ahead." The teacher turned to walk away but didn't leave before adding, "But like I said, I don't want this to happen again, and I'll be telling Dash the same thing." Danny nodded.

With the locker room empty Danny slid down to the floor running his hands through his hair over and over again. _What the heck was that? What was I about to do?_

Danny couldn't ignore it anymore. There was no way to deny what he was feeling and worse yet no way to satiate it.

_Well, there is _one_ way_…

White rings formed at his middle and in the blink of an eye Danny's hair turned snow white, his eyes glowing a brilliant neon green and his skin became slighter tanner. The ghost boy stood up confidently letting out the breath he had been holding in.

He didn't know what had possessed him to do this. What had made him write Vlad's name all over his notebook or what had forced him to draw the two together and in the panic and fear of being revealed had caused him to almost scream out for help from Vlad.

But he knew there was only one way to find out.

**Meanwhile -**

Vlad stirred his tea absentmindedly, a frown slowly drifting across his features. What was taking so long? Surely Danny's desire to see him must be unbearable by now. So why wasn't the boy here yet?

Vlad let out a soft huff as he lifted the tea cup to his lips. _Calm yourself Masters. It's only a matter of time._ He repeated to himself every few minutes or so. But it wasn't just the waiting that was bothering him.

When Vlad had unexpectedly and quite suddenly received a sharp pang of fear in his chest he knew it could've only come from one thing. Or should I say, one person.

_Daniel._

Something must've happened that scared the boy into calling out for his help. And while that worried the older halfa slightly it also filled him with a savage sense of pleasure.

Daniel had called out for _his_ help. Daniel was in danger and wanted _him_ to rush in and save him. True the little hybrid might not have called out verbally for him but with the strong connection now between them there was really no need to.

If Danny was ever in any real danger Vlad would sense it. If the boy felt any strong emotion like, fear, sadness, joy, Vlad would feel it as well. The two were almost one now in a sense.

_But not completely. Not until he willing submits and obeys me. It won't be long now._

Then, as if on cue, Vlad glanced over at one of the large windows only to be greeted by a most beautiful sight.

Vlad grinned from ear to ear as he stood to his feet and casually walked to the front door. He wouldn't want to keep his little badger waiting after all…

**I hope you liked it. I sure did. At least the ending anyway. I love suspense!**

**So now feel free to review and tell me what you think. Remember, they're my cookies and milk. YUM!**

**Sorry, too much sugar.**


	4. IMPORTANT Author's Note

**IMPORTANT Author's Note:**

OK, I'm sorry this isn't a chapter update but I felt it necessary to post this before I continue with my story "Waking Dream".

I'm scared. I know that sounds stupid but some of the reviews I've been getting are scaring me and I'm worried I gave a very WRONG impression in my story.

It's nice when I get reviews that say, "Wow, this chapter gave me goosebumps" or "I got shivers when I read that line" or even, "I could feel my heart beating faster."

I LOVE those kinds of reviews because that's the effect I want my story to have on readers. And although I warned all of you in the beginning that this was a dark twisted story I feel I've taken it a bit too far and I'm very worried because of it.

I've gotten several reviews now that have said something to the effect of the reader thinking that Vlad was going to "**attack**" Danny while he was asleep and now in my latest chapter that Dash's motives were more than simply humiliating Danny and seeing what he was hiding under his hoodie.

I realize this is my fault. I took things a little too far and made it seem like there were… "_ulterior motives_" in my story as to why Vlad marked Danny. I apologize.

I didn't want it to seem like there was an attraction between the two, Danny and Vlad that is, I only wanted fascination and just a hint of obsession.

So please let me make this clear right here and now. This IS NOT a romance fic between Danny and Vlad, it never was. This is just some creepy Master/Apprentice kind of story. Like I said, fascination not attraction.

I hope this news does not disappoint any of you or anger anyone in any way. I hope you'll still want to read my story and find out what happens.

Also, I rated my story K+ and some of the reviews I've gotten make it sound like my story should be rated **M**. Please let me know if I should change my rating to T because it's too dark or too creepy.

Thank you~! Sincerely, C.C.


	5. Quality Time with Uncy Vlad

**Thank you all for being so understanding! I'm sorry I got so worried but like I said I wanted to make things clear before I continued. So now that things are cleared up, here we go with-**

**Chapter 4: Quality Time with Uncy Vlad**

Danny stood outside the ridiculously large front doors of Vlad's castle staring at the thick solid wood. Now that he was finally here he felt more than a little nervous, his heart pounding furiously at the situation.

He could always turn around. Fly straight back to school and pretend that done of this had even happened.

Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. He could always visit Uncy Vlad some other time. The man was probably busy anyway and the teen was showing up uninvited. Tomorrow. He would call Vlad tomorrow and see if he could stop by. Or next week, he could always call Vlad next week.

It was decided. Still in his ghost form Danny flew up into the sky and started back the way he came.

But something was wrong.

It seemed the farther Danny got the worse he began to feel. It was like the more space he put between himself and Vlad's castle the more space grew in his chest, the gaping hole quickly returning and growing until the teen felt hallow and empty inside.

Danny stopped in mid flight looking back longingly at the tall mansion. He couldn't wait. He couldn't wait till next week or even until tomorrow. He had to see Vlad _now_. Some cruel twist of fate wouldn't let him have it any other way.

With a growl of frustration Danny flew back to the entrance and immediately began knocking on the giant doors as hard as he could. The impact hurt his fists but the excitement of seeing Vlad took some of the sting away.

Upon hearing footsteps coming to the door Danny held his breath and changed back into Danny Fenton. He hadn't come looking for a fight after all, just answers.

The large doors opened just enough to reveal a tall lean built figure. His sleek silver hair was in a tight pony tail and his midnight blue eyes looked slightly menacing with the dark lines that traced them.

"Daniel?" Vlad's questioning voice both calmed and slightly disgusted the young hybrid causing him to scowl. "This is an odd surprise." Danny's scowl deepened, unable to tell if the tone was sincere or mocking. "What are you doing here my boy?"

"I-I…" _What am I suppose to say? !_ "I-I've come here for answers! And I'm not leaving until I get them!" On sudden impulse Danny pushed the man aside and walked straight into the castle startling the older hybrid.

"Well then, by all means do come in." Vlad mumbled dryly though Danny could've sworn he heard the man chuckle. Danny paused for a moment letting Vlad go ahead of him and lead the way to what looked like a very expansive pallor room.

Vlad walked in and casually stood by a beautiful scarlet couch before gesturing to it with his hand. "If you wish to talk perhaps it'd be better if we both sit down." The man suggested in a surprisingly kind voice. Danny wasn't falling for it.

"No thanks," the teen replied icily. "I won't be here that long. I just want to know if you had anything to do with this." The ghost boy pointed at his chest still covered by the baggy hoodie.

Vlad gave him a puzzled look. "Well, if you're referring to that hideous excuse for a jacket I can assure you I had nothing to do with it." The man smirked taking a comfortable seat on the couch. "Honestly Daniel, did you even look in a mirror before walking out in public this morning? You look like something the cat dragged in."

"I don't think you wanna start talking to me about _cats_, fruitloop." Danny countered making Vlad frown in displeasure. The teen suddenly winced at his own jab, like a needle had just poked him in the chest. Danny quickly ignored it though and advanced on the man while he had the chance. "I'm talking about the tattoo on my chest."

"Daniel! I'm surprised at you!" Vlad scolded, disapproval heavy in his voice. "How could you possibly go out and get a _tattoo_! Do your parents know about this? !"

Danny gaped, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. "Of course not! I mean! I didn't get a tattoo!"

Vlad let out a soft sigh of relief easing back into the red sofa. "Don't frighten me like that Daniel. For a moment I thought you had done something serious."

"ME! What about YOU? !" Danny accused stomping over to the red velvet couch. "Aren't you the one that did this?" He pointed to his heart once more.

Vlad arched an eyebrow as he stared up at the raven haired boy before him. "Haven't we already established I had nothing to do with your poor wardrobe?"

Danny growled in frustration giving up as he quickly ripped off the overgrown hoodie. "I'm talking about this weird mark on my chest." He pointed to his white T-shirt.

"Are you saying you have a birth mark?" Vlad asked just to frustrate the boy even more. This was simply priceless. Daniel was just too easy to tease.

Danny slapped a hand over his eyes. Was he really going to have to _show_ Vlad the mark to make him understand? _I guess so._ "I'm talking about this-" the ghost boy tossed the hoodie aside and lifted up the hem of his shirt until the black mark was revealed.

It took all of Vlad's self control not to smile. Seeing his mark of possession on the boy was just as satisfying as creating it. Holding back his smirk of satisfaction Vlad placed a curious look on his face and pretended to study the mark.

"Well?" Danny asked impatiently, clearly uncomfortable with exposing himself to his arch-nemesis.

"Interesting, very interesting." Vlad replied rubbing his goateed chin. "It appears to be some sort of emblem or insignia."

"I know _that_." The ghost boy said exasperatedly. "What I _want_ to know is why it's there. What did you do to me?"

Vlad's head snapped back up to the boy, a slightly hurt expression on his face. "What makes you think _I_ had anything to do with this my boy?"

Danny froze. He hadn't thought about that. Why was he so sure that Vlad had something to do with this? Because he had been thinking about the man all day? Well, he couldn't admit _that_ now could he?

"Because you're my arch-enemy and this is the sort of thing arch-enemies do!" Danny reasoned. "You probably poisoned me or something!"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Oh yes Daniel. I slipped into your bedroom in the dead of night merely to inject you with some sort of poison and this mark is a side effect."

Danny paused giving the man a scared questioning look. "You didn't, did you?"

"Of course not, you fool!" Vlad shouted feeling thoroughly insulted. "Do you think me so horrid that I would actually murder a helpless boy in his sleep? !"

"W-well I…" The teen stuttered feeling as if he had been slapped across the face though he wasn't entirely sure why. "Wait a minute! I'm not helpless!"

Vlad sighed rolling his eyes. "To answer your question, no, I have not poisoned you with anything."

"Good." The ghost boy sighed in relief. "So you really don't know what this is? How I got it? _Anything_?" Danny asked with pleading pale blue eyes.

Vlad's face softened just a little before looking as though he were deep in thought. "I believe I may have read something about this a few days ago actually. The mark on your chest looks something similar to that of a _comprime pagina_."

"Umm, in English please?"

"_Comprime pagina_." Vlad repeated. "It means 'ghostly link' in Latin." The man got up from his seat and walked over to a large bookshelf that lined one of the walls of the room. Pulling out a thick leather bound book he began flipping through the pages.

"So a ghost did this to me?"

"It's possible." Vlad answered offhandedly putting the book back on the self before pulling out a somewhat older looking volume. "However, _comprime pagina_ is a spell often used by other-worlders. Not so much ghosts but shape shifters, blood suckers, and charm casters."

"You mean like werewolves, vampires and witches?" Danny asked in disbelief. The fruitloop had to be messing with him.

"Precisely little badger." The man smiled proudly at him, a little impressed.

"You've gotta be kidding. Vampires and witches don't exist."

"Says the half dead boy." Vlad smirked still flipping through yellowed pages.

"Alright," Danny huffed pulling his shirt down. "So other than the possibly of a ghost, werewolf, vampire or witch casting a spell on me, what might be some other explanations?"

The book Vlad was holding suddenly slapped shut causing Danny to jump. "Daniel…" The older halfa said in a warning tone. "I realize this is a lot for you to take in but I _am_ trying to help you, and I _don't_ appreciate the sarcasm."

Danny lowered his eyes feeling the tiniest bit ashamed. "Sorry…"

Vlad nodded. "I can look for some other explanation but I can't promise that I'll find one." He stated as he placed the book back on the shelf before grabbing a third. "But I'm pretty sure that the mark on your chest is indeed the result of a _comprime pagina_. If I could just find the page I last saw it on… Ah yes! Here it is!" Vlad walked over to Danny standing beside the teen and revealed the page's secrets.

Danny scanned the page. At the top were the words "_Comprime Pagina_" in bold letters and at the left side of the page was a picture of what looked like a black ink tattoo only it didn't look like the one on his chest.

Unlike Danny's round intricate mark the one on the page was almost star shaped, the lines inside it sharp and thin like twigs and needles. The mark also appeared to be on someone's neck.

"How come this tattoo doesn't look anything like mine?" Danny blurted out.

"First of all, it is not a tattoo." Vlad replied matter-of-factly. "Tattoos are nothing but disgusting shapes made by skin tainting ink. These are much cleaner is a sense. Second, the mark this spell leaves behind depends on the essence of the person it's on and by the essence of the person who gave it."

"So in other words results may vary?" Danny smirked.

"Something like that." Vlad smirked closing the book. "_Comprime pagina_ is a spell that links two souls together by one person giving some of their essence to another. This creates a current between the two allowing them to communicate and feel each others emotions from great distances. Hence the name, 'ghostly link'."

"Wow, you sure know a lot about this." Danny stated half impressed half suspicious.

"You'd be surprised at how much you can learn from reading books little badger." Vlad taunted ruffling the boy's hair. "You should try reading yourself sometime."

"Very funny Vlad." Danny swatted the man's hand away ignoring the warm tingle in his chest when Vlad touched him. "So what do I have to do to get rid of this thing?"

"I'm afraid you can't do anything." Vlad said turning his back on the boy to hide his smirk. "The only one that can undo the spell is the one that cast it on you." He stated calmly as if he were discussing the weather while he placed the book back on the shelf.

"WHAT? ! What do you mean I can't do anything? ! There has to be something I can do!"

"My dear boy, someone or something's essence is floating around inside you." Vlad informed coolly as he took a seat on the couch once more. "The only way this spell could be broken is if that person willingly took their essence back. Until then you are their property."

"P-P-PROPERTY? !" Danny sputtered, his face paling a bit.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that part?" Despite his attempt to sound innocent a devilish smirk tugged at Vlad's lips.

"Um yeah, you kinda did!" The teen shouted angrily.

"It is rather troublesome…" Vlad mumbled putting on his best concerned face, lying it on as thick as possible. "With the connection between you and this creature it could follow the link back to you at anytime to collect you." The older halfa stated sadly.

"What do you mean _collect_ me?" The teen asked not even trying to hide his worry.

"Why drag you back to its home, of course." The older halfa stated coolly. "If it's a ghost it would most likely take you into the ghost zone, but if it's an other-worlder, as I suspect it is, then you might be looking at a one way ticket to 'Down World', or worse the _'Underbed'_." Vlad said in distain.

"What's 'Down World'? And the 'Underbed'?" The smaller hybrid asked fearfully.

"Well, surely you don't believe that the ghost zone is the only other world besides ours do you?" Vlad smiled lightly. "I can assure you Daniel there are many others, 'Down World' the 'Shadow Realm' and the 'Underbed' just to name a few. All of them far more dangerous and revolting then the ghost zone, especially the '_Underbed_'."

"What's so terrible about the 'Underbed'?" Danny asked half afraid of the answer he might receive.

Vlad's eyes narrowed, his demeanor no longer light. "Daniel, what if I told you that there really are monsters out there? Hideous misshapen creatures that prey on the fear of innocent children. Monsters that crawl out of their world and into ours only to hide under the beds and in the closets of small children lying in wait for their next meal or to steal their next victim in the dead of night and drag them back their world."

Danny swallowed the lump in his throat, not liking where this was going.

"Let's just say there is a reason why it is called '_The Underbed'_." Vlad's face hardened for a moment but he soon shook his head and with a sigh leaned back into the sofa. "But you needn't be concerned about that world my boy. We'll have this figured out before anything like that happens."

"We?" Danny asked stepping closer to the man. "You mean, you're going to help me?" He asked hopefully. "But why?"

Vlad merely chuckled softly. "What, do you believe I'm such a villain that I'll simply stand by and watch some creature step in and spirit you away from your family and friends? Absolutely not." _That's __**my**__ job._ Vlad grinned in his mind. "I'll help you find this creature and get them to take back their essence before the week is out. You have nothing to fear." The billionaire smiled reassuringly.

Amazingly enough Danny believed him, and he actually felt a little better. Like everything was really going to alright just because Vlad said it would.

"And now with all that out of the way, perhaps you would finally like to take a seat?" Vlad asked lightly patting the seat next to him. "I can easily gather some books on each of the worlds and their inhabitants if you'd like to learn more about them."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Danny replied awkwardly walking over and taking a seat a few inches away from the other hybrid pushing away the urge to sit closer to the man.

"And while you're reading perhaps I could go into the kitchen and make us some tea." The man suggested sweetly. "It helps to calm the nerves, I think you could use it." He tried not to chuckle.

Danny blushed a little and nodded. "Sure, that sounds pretty good right now actually."

Vlad smiled and stood to his feet walking over to the book shelf and grabbing five large leather bound books and bringing the over to the side table.

_He must read a lot_. Danny thought silently as he watched the man set the thick books down. _He knew exactly where all of these were._ Looking over the books Danny noticed all of their covers were worn down with age making the leather look soft and the titles faded. _Maybe I'm just over thinking. He probably has them all alphabetized anyway._

"Feel free to start with any one you like but **be careful with them**. These are very old books and it was _very_ hard for me to come by them." Vlad warned seriously. "I'll be back in just a minute with the tea."

Danny nodded before carefully picking up the first book on the pile and laid it gently on his lap. Vlad smiled secretively before turning and taking his leave.

"Hey Vlad?" The raven haired teen called after him.

"Yes Daniel?" The man smiled looking at the boy over his shoulder.

"Do you really think we can find this, whatever it is and get it to take back its essence before the week is over?"

"Of course dear boy, it's not like we have any other choice." Vlad tried not to smirk.

"What do you mean?" The ghost boy asked feeling nervous again.

"Well, in seven days the spell will be complete and then there will be no way to unbind your essence with the creature's."

"_Unbind?"_ Danny made a disgusted face.

"Yes, that's what the spell is doing as we speak. Binding your essence to another's." Vlad suddenly sighed. "There's so much you need to learn about little badger and not much time to learn it. If I were you I would seriously consider reading a bit more, _as soon as possible_."

Vlad left the room smirking at the panicked look on Danny's face. It was all too easy to manipulate Daniel now especially since the boy really did know nothing about the other worlds.

What? You didn't think Vlad was lying about all that did you? Oh no. All that about spells and monsters was indeed true, Vlad just added his own twist to keep Danny from finding out it was him that had put the spell on the boy.

And while Vlad played the part of a savior in young Daniel's time of need the boy would grow to care for him and look up to him. The spell would also help the process along as Danny would be drawn to him more and more. It appeared the little hybrid was already warming up to him which only made the situation that much sweeter.

_And this is only day one._

Danny would now have no choice but to trust Vlad seeing as the man was probably the only one in a thousand mile radius that could help him and the boy would adore him for it. It was perfect.

_By the end of the week I'll have kept my promise and revealed that I was the one that put the __**comprime pagina**__ on Daniel and by that time he'll be thankful for it. He'll want to stay by my side._

Vlad smiled as he brought the tea into the pallor only to find Danny carefully studying the heavy book on his lap. When the boy noticed his presence he smiled up at the man before awkwardly accepting the tea with a blush.

"So little badger, have you found anything of interest?"

**I wanted to write a bit more about Sam and Tucker realizing that Danny was missing but my hands hurt too much and I'm hungry so this is all you're getting. Be happy.**

**Looks like things are going pretty well for Vlad, for NOW anyway. And guess what! I finally have a plot for my story! I actually KNOW what's going to happen now! HOORAY!**

**P.S. if you want to know how to pronounce the name of the spell Vlad was talking about go to Google Translate and type in ghostly link, then have the words translated into Latin. Just click the button to listen to the Latin version and you'll hear it.**

**I honestly chose this name simply because it sounded cool so feel free to check it out.**

**Other than that, REVIEW! If this chapter was any good review and tell me what you liked about it!**


	6. Chapter 5 Down World

**Yes, I know it's been awhile but I am still going to continue my stories with all my might! What? You didn't think I'd abandon did you?**

**Nope. So here is chapter 5. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: Down World**

Danny yawned arching his back and stretching out his limbs as far as they could go. He had been lying on the sofa for some time now, his feet resting up on one of the expensive cushions. But the teen didn't care. He had taken off his shoes long ago and Vlad said he didn't mind so why not get comfortable?

Actually, Vlad had seemed pretty happy when the teen timidly asked if he could take off his shoes and put his feet up on the couch.

_He's probably just being nice to me because of what's happening._ Danny justified. _Why else would he let me kick my feet up on his million dollar couch?_

True, the billionaire probably would've denied such a request to anyone else, especially a teenager. After all, what person would want some messy, ill-mannered teenager putting their nasty smelling feet on their million dollar furniture?

But this wasn't just any teenager, it was Daniel and that made all the difference. The boy was not obnoxious or foul smelling in the least. Ill-mannered, at times, yes, but the little halfa had been all but perfectly behaved for hours, keeping his soft blue eyes glued to the pages of various books and occasionally pausing to point to a page and ask the man a question.

Standing over at one of the bookshelves Vlad looked over his shoulder to glance at the boy once more. The ebony haired boy was still lying on his back on the couch, one of his feet hanging off the edge with a book propped up on his stomach as he continued to read. But he was getting tired, Vlad could see that much. The heavy book was starting to tilt forward and Daniel's eyelids were becoming heavy. If the man didn't do something soon the boy would likely fall asleep right on his couch.

Which didn't seem like such a bad thing.

Vlad couldn't explain it, but there was just something precious about seeing the younger hybrid lying on his couch completely relaxed and at ease. Watching the book slip from the boy's pale hands and onto his chest now rising and falling evenly, his choppy bangs sweeping across his forehead as his head tilted back, baby blue eyes closing softly.

The man let out inaudible sigh. It would be nice to let the boy stay with him the night, to simply let Daniel fall asleep now and silently carry him to one of the spare bedrooms where the boy could get a good night's sleep. But it was too soon. Even with the spell working on the teen Vlad knew he couldn't push his limits too far, at least not this early.

And if he didn't wake Daniel now the boy would probably be angry and suspicious come morning. What good would that do?

Walking over quietly to the sofa Vlad stood over the sleeping ghost boy, peering down at his soft features. Slowly reaching down, the older hybrid brushed the teen's bangs away from his eyes. _Already fast asleep._ He mused.

"Daniel." Vlad lightly shook the boy's shoulder. "Daniel it's time to get up. You're falling asleep on me my boy."

"Huh?" Danny muttered, wishing nothing more than to keep his eyes closed. He had forgotten where he was but whatever he was lying on was much more comfortable than his bed at home. "Five more minutes…" He mumbled trying to turn on his side but there was something heavy on his chest. He groaned a little as he was forced to sit up and remove the object whose corner was currently poking him too hard. "Where am I…?" Blinking around the room Danny slowly came back to reality only to find Vlad smirking down at him in amusement.

"O-Oh!" Danny started, quickly getting on his feet. "I must've fell asleep. What time is it?"

"A quarter past nine." Vlad answered. "Not too late, but I think you should head home all the same." The man said matter-of-factly, as if he didn't whether the boy left or stayed.

"Yeah, I guess I'd better get going. Mom and Dad are probably wondering where I've been all this time. And who knows how they'll react if I stay out past ten." _Not to mention Jazz_… Danny thought warily.

"Oh, I wouldn't fret over that too much my boy." Vlad said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "I'm sure if you tell your father you were with _me_ this entire time he'll be delighted." Vlad gave a smug smirk. "You won't be in any trouble at all."

"Very funny Vlad." Danny replied with some distain. "Thinking that I'd actually admit to spending time with _you_. There's a laugh." The teen expected a glare and an equally snappy comeback but instead the older halfa merely chuckled and ruffled his hair with a smile.

Ignoring the blush quickly spreading across his cheeks, and the warmth bubbling in his chest, Danny brushed the man's hand away and slipped his shoes back on.

"Would you like me to drive you home little badger?" Vlad offered sweetly, only to test and see if the boy would mind blatant use of the nickname.

"No thanks, I'd rather fly and it'll be faster anyway." Danny replied calmly, obviously not noticing the nickname or simply not caring about its use.

As Vlad walked the teen to the door Danny hesitated a bit. "Umm, Vlad…" The boy looked up uneasily. "Would you mind if I… Y-You know, if I stopped by again tomorrow…?"

"Of course not my boy!" Vlad replied, shock evident in his voice. "If we're to have any hope at all of finding out who or what did this to you we'll have to go to Down World first thing tomorrow."

"You mean you _want_ me to skip school to come here?" Danny asked in surprise, though he couldn't hide the slight excitement that came with the prospect of ditching school for whatever reason.

"Well I honestly didn't think you would mind," Vlad said evenly. "Given the circumstances."

"No, no, no." Danny quickly waved his hands. "Trust me, I don't mind. I mean, come on, what better reason to stay home from school than to hunt down some monster in a place called Down World. That's even better than going to the arcade." The teen said jokingly though his stomach was doing flips at the thought of going to a place even more frightening than the Ghost Zone.

With a reassuring smile Vlad placed his hand on Danny's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry Daniel, I won't let anything happen to you. You have my word."

"Um," Danny rubbed the back of his neck laughing nervously unable to ignore the flutter of pleasure in his chest at Vlad's words. "Right. I guess I'll um, see you tomorrow then. Right before school starts."

"Sounds like a plan." Vlad smiled.

XXXX Line Break XXXX

As it turned out Vlad was right, though Danny would never admit it. Even with flying the ghost boy still didn't get home in time to make his ten o'clock curfew, but at the mention of having been with Vlad his father's anger quickly turned to delight and all mentions of grounding disappeared.

Now with morning beginning and school starting Danny Phantom raced to Vlad's mansion once again, unbeknown to his family or friends.

"Good morning Daniel." Vlad greeted, all too pleased as he answered the door inviting the younger halfa inside. "Did you sleep well last night?" The man couldn't resist asking.

"As well as anyone else who has some unknown spirit goo floating around inside them." Danny replied with a sigh. Although his visit with Vlad had reassured him a bit it seemed that once he was away from the other hybrid almost all of his worry and fear came flooding back. But being in the man's company once again the teen's nerves settled greatly and that odd yet comforting warmth returned to his chest once more.

"Am I to take that as a 'no'?" Vlad asked teasingly. Danny glared up at him but for some reason couldn't help smiling back.

"I'll just feel better once this stuff is outta me and the thing that put it there is out of my life for good." Danny replied and Vlad nodded in understanding.

"Well, as I said yesterday there is nothing for you to worry about." Vlad said leading the teen down the hall way towards his private study. "Thanks to the help of those books, and some online research I did last night, I figured out a way to create a portal into Down World."

"You mean you figured out how to build one?" Danny asked curiously. "Like how you built a ghost portal?"

"Not exactly." Vlad smirked knowingly, ushering the boy inside the giant library till they reached a large fireplace at the far end of the room. Clicking forward a solid gold football statue on the mantelpiece the unlit fireplace split in half revealing an underground staircase.

Walking down a wide set of stairs the two halfa's entered Vlad's lab. Stopping at the last step Danny looked around the room. Vlad's Plasmius portal was shut tight and aside from the long lab tables with scattered vials and glowing yellowish green liquids there appeared to be nothing else of importance in the lab, much less a portal to another world.

Opening up a large steel cabinet Vlad casually pulled out a small corked vial and held it up for Danny to see. "This, dear boy, is out ticket to Down World." Vlad smirked triumphantly, lightly swirling the vial's dark shadowy contents.

Stepping into the lab and in front of Vlad Danny took a closer look at the strange mixture. It looked like a combination of smoke and ashes with something thick and black pooling at the bottom, perhaps, ink. Glancing up at Vlad's pleased face and back at the smoky vial Danny pointed to the mixture with an unsure look and said, "_This_? This is our ticket into Down World?"

"Yes."

"It sure doesn't look like much." Danny replied inspecting the vial from all angles.

"Neither do you little badger." Vlad teased. "But that doesn't mean you should be underestimated."

"It looks like something you would scrape out of a chimney." The teen added ignoring both the jab and slight compliment. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Of course." The older halfa said confidently. "I used all the ingredients the book said was required for this spell."

"A spell?" Danny repeated uneasily. "Great, that makes me feel so much better."

"Why Daniel?" Vlad said in mock surprise, his grin taunting. "You're not scared are you?"

"What? ! No way!" Danny snapped defensively. "I've been to the Ghost Zone dozens of times, why would I be afraid to go to Down World?"

At this comment Vlad's face became rigid, all traces of humor suddenly gone. "Daniel, I believe I already discussed with you last night how different Down World is from the Ghost Zone." Vlad stated seriously. Danny felt a strange sensation coming from the mark on his chest, a sort of icy dread that made him hang on Vlad's every word.

"Now, there's something I want to make very clear before we go on this little trip." The more experienced hybrid went on seeing he had the boy's undivided attention. "Down Worlders, the creatures you will be seeing for the first time, are nothing like Other Worlders, the ghost you've already encountered and therefore they don't get along. This is probably the most likely reason you haven't found any Down Worlders prowling around Amity Park, because it's already preoccupied with so many ghosts."

"Both Down Worlders and ghosts are very territorial creatures," He went on. "And while I'm sure any monster would love to prey on the humans in your town the ghosts already have claim on it and that's what's keeping them at bay. You have your parents' portal to thank for that."

"So you mean Down Worlders are afraid of ghosts?" Danny asked curiously, already greatly interested in the subject.

"Yes and no." Vlad answered, clearly pleased that the boy was turning this into a conversation rather than a lecture. This is what Vlad was hoping on and there was no way he was about to let an opportunity to teach Daniel something new, something only he could teach him, slide by. "Down Worlders do fear ghosts but, as with most creatures, that fear has easily turned to hatred and so they won't back down from a fight with one. Especially if they believe they'll _win_." Vlad hinted suggestively and Danny nodded in understanding.

_That means they can beat a ghost._ Danny thought anxiously. _Which means they can destroy one too…_

"Which makes this journey that much more dangerous for us I'm afraid." Vlad went on, catching the teen's attention.

"H-How do you mean?"

"Well, we're half human and half ghost. That makes us both prey _and_ enemy. If any creature realizes this while we're there it could cause a riot, in which case we would probably end up-"

"Getting seriously injured?" Danny interjected helpfully.

"Seriously **dead**, Daniel." Vlad corrected gently but seriously.

"Oh." Danny gulped.

"Due to this we'll be entering Down World in our human forms to avoid detection. If we even tried to step foot in Down World as ghosts we'd probably send the whole realm into panic."

"But won't we get attacked if we stay human?" The teen asked not forgetting all the horrific things he had read along with Vlad's mentions of monsters lying in wait for small children to devour.

"Not necessarily." Vlad replied, walking away from the teen casually though Danny wasn't sure why. "Humans walking around in Down World is unusual but not unheard of considering that some Down Worlders have taken a liking to doing business with humans." Vlad stopped beside on empty wall and Danny followed suit.

"Monsters? Doing business with humans?" Danny said critically.

"That's right."

Danny stared at the man for a moment. "Why?"

"Well why not?" Vlad smiled a bit evilly. "Humans are rather gullible and easy to manipulate. Why not take advantage of them?"

Vlad's only reply was a heated glare.

"If you're a monster I mean." He smirked.

"Right." The teen said sarcastically. "And how come I never heard of this before?"

"You probably have my boy." Vlad answered truthfully. "Many children's stories and fairytales are based upon human and Down Worlder interactions."

Danny stared at the man with wide eyes. "Like what?"

Vlad smirked. "Ever heard of _Rumpelstilskin_? Or _Little Red Riding Hood_?"

"Forget I asked." Danny groaned.

Vlad chuckled lightly before removing the cork from the vial allowing a grayish smog to rise up from it. "Oh, and one more thing Daniel." The billionaire stated turning his attention to the boy once more. "Whatever happens while we're in Down World **do not** 'go ghost'. Only stay close to me and **DO NOT** speak to anyone. Even if they talk to you first, even if they appear to be _human_, don't speak to them. Am I clear?"

"Transparently." Danny grinned with a hint of mischief which Vlad didn't fail to catch.

"Daniel." The older halfa growled warningly.

"Relax Vlad! I get it!" Danny raised his hands in retreat. "I'm fifteen years old, I know not to talk to strangers."

Seeming satisfied with this Vlad looked back at the vial in his hand and, without warning or hesitation, threw its contents onto the wall. Danny opened his mouth to protest but stopped short as the inky liquid began to swirl around on the wall like a whirlpool.

"Here is our portal." Vlad gestured to the pitless black hole proudly. "We'll have to make this a quick trip though, the spell only lasts for two hours. Here, take my hand."

"I'm not going to hold your hand!" Danny flinched away from the offending appendage, ignoring the pulse of heat sent up from his chest to his cheeks. "I'm not five!"

Vlad merely shrugged. "If you wish. But keep in mind I won't come looking for you if you get lost."

Danny's heart skipped a beat as Vlad placed one foot into the portal and quickly latched onto the man's hand before he could disappear completely, all the while missing the smug look on the man's face.

Going through the portal into Down World was nothing like going through the ghost portal back home. Rather than stepping through a door it was like going down a dark tunnel and when the two reached the end they were sucked forcibly out of the portal like the pull of a vacuum cleaner.

The ghost boy shook his head lightly from the odd experience and looking around couldn't help but utter a breathless '_wow'_. Vlad hadn't been joking when he said Down World was nothing like the Ghost Zone. Instead it was like a dark reflection of their human world.

From what Danny could see they were in some type of market place, though it was hard to tell whether it was day or night in this new world. It was not pitch black as it might have been in the dead of night but it certainly wasn't bright either. It was gray and cloudy, enveloped in the kind of smog large cities were accustom to and like a city it was bustling with every nightmarish monster and hellish creature imaginable. All of them limping, crawling, slithering, and trotting about from place to place.

An argument of slurs and squawks quickly caught the teen's attention and looking to his left Danny beheld a strange sight. Two creatures stood at an old wooden stand, one inside and one out, and appeared to be haggling over some raw pieces of flesh from an animal Danny didn't want to identify.

The first monster, the merchant as it appeared, was a hideous bird-like creature. If it had ever been covered in feathers at one time that time was long ago and now only pitiful tuffs of gray remained, scattered here and there. What covered the rest of bird's scrawny, twisted form was leathery and decaying skin. On its equally disfigured face were two small, twinkling eyes that any child would've been afraid to look into. Small sharp fang poked out of its large beak-like mouth and its long fleshy tongue slithered this way and that while it squawked.

The second monster, who was still haggling in slurs on what the final price should be, was hulky and bloated. Its thin almost see through green skin was covered in a watery film which Danny couldn't identify as either slime or sweat. From where the teen was standing he couldn't see the face of this creature although he was sure the bulging orbs sticking out were its eyes.

As the two monsters continued arguing a third creature appeared. So little was this one that it had to stand on its toes to peer over the foul smelling meat strips. On its head was a shaggy patch of fur or quite possibly hair with two thin needle sharp horns sticking straight up out of it.

Seeing the two other Down Worlders preoccupied the small creature slowly lifted up one dwarfed hand in order to steal one of the raw chunks unnoticed.

It didn't work.

Just as the tiny creature's hand was set upon the meat the merchant, swift as a twittering bird, slapped the small appendage with a sharp taloned hand.

Hand slashed and bleeding the dwarf ran off like a frightened squealing pig.

Uncaring and unfeeling the two remaining Down Worlders continued their discussion as if the interruption had never happened.

The scene was disturbing to say the least but Danny only managed to look away from it when Vlad began dragging him down a crowded soiled road. Vlad held the teen tight to his side not allowing anyone or anything to touch him which, strangely enough, comforted the ghost boy to no end.

Perhaps it was just being in such an unfamiliar and scary place as Down World that made the raven haired boy want to stay close to the man. Perhaps it was all the gruesome and cruel looking monsters around that made him want to cling to Vlad with all his might.

Whatever the reason Danny couldn't say, all he knew was that he felt safe and protected with Vlad's arm around him and warmer then he'd felt in days.

_Wait, warm?_

Unseen by Vlad Danny lightly touched his chest and peering down his shirt found the tattoo glowing bright green. The teen's eyes darted between Vlad and his chest and even to the creatures passing by but the mark seemed to go unnoticed by all except him.

Too busy looking around the ghost boy didn't notice a tall, thin, dark cloaked figure walking steadily towards him until he accidently bumped into the figure despite Vlad's efforts.

"Oh! Sorry, I-" Danny started to apologize but stopped short when the figure turned its head to look at him. Danny couldn't see the creature's face, its large hood masking it in utter darkness as one piercing red eye stared directly at him unblinking.

A gasp caught in Danny's throat as the Down Worlder continued to gaze at him with some unearthly curiously until Vlad pulled him roughly around a corner and down a narrower street.

"Be careful Daniel." Vlad hissed holding onto the boy even tighter. "We can't draw attention to ourselves."

"I know, it's just…" Danny glanced over his shoulder but the cloaked figure was nowhere to be seen. The teen didn't get a chance to finish his thought however as Vlad stopped suddenly at a row of small stone shops.

"Here we are." Vlad sighed with relief.

"Where's here?" Danny asked looking up and down the row of decaying shops.

" '_Camille's Potions and Tonics'_." Vlad read the sign of the little shop in front of them. "If we're to have any hope of finding the creature that put this spell on you we'll need to figure out what type of Down Worlder it is."

"And we're going to figure that out here?" Danny asked critically. "In a shop that sells lotions and perfumes?"

Vlad stared down at the boy with narrowed, disapproving eyes. "Do you really have such little faith in me my boy?" The older halfa asked, half angry, half insulted.

Danny stared down at his soiled shoes fidgeting slightly under the man's intense gaze, a dozen emotions floating around inside him. Guilt, for offending Vlad so blatantly. Disappointment, for not trusting Vlad after all he was doing to help him. And most of all, confusion. Why did he feel so bad for just asking a question? It wasn't his fault Vlad was being so aloof about everything. Fruitloop.

Unfortunately the other feelings seemed to outweigh all of the teen's confusion and the boy quickly gave in.

"No… I trust you…" Danny mumbled in an almost inaudible voice.

Vlad's eyes widened, not just at his little badger's words but at the unexpected pang of guilt he felt in his chest at the boy's hurt expression. He sighed resting a gentle hand on Danny's head. "Allow me to explain, just like the spell we used to create the portal many spells can be bought and purchased in potion form. After doing a little searching I found that the spell placed on you, _comprime pagina,_ also comes in potion form."

Danny's baby blue eyes lit up in understanding. "So you think the thing that did this to me might have gotten the spell from this place?"

"Exactly little badger." Vlad's face beamed with pride, ruffling the boy's hair as a reward. "I can't be certain if this is the exact shop the creature bought the spell from but perhaps after I speak with the owner I might get a better understanding of what sort of Down Worlder would use this spell."

"Great!" Danny said happily. "Let's go in!"

"Daniel, wait!" Vlad quickly pulled the teen back. "I want you to wait out here."

"What?" Danny looked up at the taller halfa, disappointment and shock etched into his soft features. "Why?"

"Because it could be dangerous." Vlad's expression grew serious. "This shop may look small on the outside but there's no telling how big or how crowded it may be on the inside. I can't take a chance on something happening to you without my knowing while I'm talking to the owner." Vlad paused taking a look around. "This spot isn't very crowded. Just wait here and don't move from this spot. I'll be out as soon as I can. If anything happens just yell and I'll be out here in a heartbeat."

The man's sincere tone took the teen by surprise and Danny could only manage a few nods.

Vlad smiled and ruffled Danny's hair one more time. "I won't be long," he repeated. "I promise." And with that vow Danny's only hope walked into the brightly lit store leaving him alone on the dark street.

For a minute or so nothing happened. The ghost boy merely stood where Vlad left him watching the Down Worlders hurry along the street not paying him any mind. Looking down the road a little ways Danny noticed three figures that weren't in such a hurry, standing idly by a little stand with worn out suitcases lying around them on the muddy ground.

They appeared to be a family of some sort. A father, short and plump with thinning hair and boils. A mother, tall and skeletal, hair in a tight bun with a bony nose and chin. And a little girl, no more than seven years old with dingy blonde curls and a sweet yet ashen pale face.

Danny probably wouldn't have paid them much mind _IF_ the little girl hadn't been staring directly at him. The teen tried to ignore the feeling of the girl's eyes on him but couldn't resist stealing a few glances at her. She was still looking at him. Not menacingly but with all the innocence and curiosity any child could've afford to have.

Her eyes were large and glassy like a doll's with faded blue irises and messy pink ribbons in her hair. She wore an equally messy pink dress and cradled in her left arm what appeared to be a baby doll wrapped in an old cloth.

Danny turned his head determined to focus on something else.

_Oh! Right!_ Danny's eyes widened in cheerful surprise as he remembered the hacky sack in his jeans pocket and digging it out began bouncing it on his foot. (_No Danny doesn't play hacky sack in the TV show but come on! He's a teenage boy! I'm sure he has one!_)

Bouncing the little sack from one foot to the other Danny glanced over at the little girl and smiled a bit when he saw the wonder and amazement on her round face. Seeing he now had an audience Danny began doing every trick he knew stealing a glance every now and then to see if the girl was still watching.

So focused on his tricks, Danny didn't realize the girl had moved from her spot until he looked up completely to find the child missing. Letting the hacky sack sit on his foot Danny looked around. The father and mother, if that's what they really were, were still standing in the same spot but the girl was gone.

Disappointment had barely started to set in when a sweet, high-pitched voice sounded right beside the ghost boy.

"Hello there."

"AHH!" Danny jumped nearly a foot in the air sending the hacky sack flying. Quickly thrusting out his hands Danny caught the sack making the little girl giggle.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" The girl asked sweetly.

"Ummm, n-no of course not." Danny stammered not sure how to react to the little stranger.

"What's that you were doing?" The girl asked glancing down at the hacky sack in Danny's hands.

"What? This?" Danny held out the hacky sack. "I was just playing some hacky sack."

"What's a hackie pack?" The girl titled her head innocently.

"No no." Danny laughed lightly. "Not hackie pack, _hacky sack_. It's a game."

"A game?" The child took an eager step closer. "How do you play?"

"Well you-" Danny let out a sudden gasp as he remembered what Vlad had told him.

_**DO NOT**__ speak to anyone. Even if they talk to you first, even if they appear to be _human_, don't speak to them._

A sudden dread washed over the teen and he felt himself grow pale.

"Um, mister?" The girl waved a small hand trying to get Danny's attention.

"Ummm, I…"

_I know what Vlad said but... But come on, how dangerous could she really be? It's not like she has horns or claws or anything. She's probably just a human like me._

"Um, nothing, nothing." Danny said regaining his thoughts. "All you have to do is hit the hacky sack with your feet like this." The teen began playing once more to demonstrate. "You just need to keep the hacky sack moving and not let it hit the ground. Haven't you ever seen someone play this before?"

"Oh no." The little girl hurriedly. "I've seen a lot of games but not this one. Ummm, m-may I give it a try…?" She asked timidly.

"Sure." Danny smiled catching the hacky sack in his hand before handing it over to the girl. "My name's Danny by the way. What's yours?"

"My name's Vanessa." The girl curtsied. "And this is Molly." Vanessa leaned her left arm forward referring to her baby doll.

"It's nice to meet you both." Danny smiled kindly as Vanessa tossed the hacky sack in the air as she had watched Danny do.

Being her first time playing the little girl wasn't doing so well. Even when the hacky sack did hit one of her little feet she couldn't seem to manage to get it back in the air again.

"Awwww…" Vanessa whined as the sack fell on the ground once again. "I'm not any good at this game…"

"Don't feel bad." Danny said comfortingly, kneeling down so he was at the girl's level and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It takes time to get it right."

"But you made it look so easy." Vanessa admitted.

"Yeah, but I've been playing a lot longer. Tell you what, why don't I hold Molly for you while you play?" The teen suggested. "You might be able to balance yourself better then."

"Oh no." Vanessa shook her head tossing her blonde curls with wide eyes. "I can't let anyone hold Molly."

"Why not?" Danny asked curiously. "I'll take good care of her. I won't let anything happen to your doll, I promise."

The worry on Vanessa's face vanished as she giggled sweetly. "You're silly Danny." The girl giggled fondly. "Molly isn't a dolly." Stepping closer Vanessa pulled back the old cloth revealing a tiny baby. It had a precious round face similar to Vanessa's with a small nose and large forehead, adorable as any baby Danny could've seen in his world.

With the cloth removed the infant stirred and opened its faded blue eyes. Looking up at Danny Molly smiled and cooed happily and the ghost boy couldn't resist allowing the baby to play and nibble on one of his fingers.

_So it was a real baby this whole time!_ Danny marveled. _Vanessa's parents must really trust her a lot to let her hold her baby sister so much. No wonder she wouldn't let me hold her._

"Vanessaaa!" A shrill voice called out, no doubt from the woman at the stand.

"Uh-oh! I better go." Vanessa quickly put the cloth over Molly's face once more before holding out the hacky sack to Danny.

"Go ahead and keep it." Danny said pushing it back to her. "I've got three more at home and now you'll be able to practice and get better."

"Really? !" Vanessa said in awe. "Oh thank you!" The little girl jumped forward wrapping her free arm around Danny's neck. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Danny smiled as the girl pulled away. "Just be sure to put your sister down before you start playing ok? You wouldn't want to drop her."

"My sister?" Vanessa titled her head in confusion.

"Yeah, Molly."

Vanessa giggled. "You really are silly Danny. Molly's not my sister, she's a _tumor_."

All the blood in Danny's face drained out. "A w-w-what?"

"Hm-mm." Vanessa hummed with a nod before fully removing the cloth showing that Molly was actually _attached_ to the little girl's side forcing her to keep her arm around the infant like ulcer otherwise it would dangle.

Before Danny could say anything else, not that he really could at the moment, Vanessa skipped off saying, "Mommy, Mommy! Look what the silly boy gave me!"

XXXX Meanwhile with Vlad XXXX

Stepping in to the familiar shop Vlad smiled. It was well lit and clean, a few Down Worlders here and there just as he expected. All he had to do was speak with Camille, let her know that the spell he had bought from her was working, and ask her a few more questions.

_Shouldn't take more than five minutes._ Vlad thought calmly. _I'm sure Daniel can stay out of trouble till then._

Walking confidently down to the other end of the shop Vlad quickly spotted the store's owner busying herself in arranging some of the newest brews on a tall shelf, her long slightly curly red hair swaying this way and that. Smirking Vlad silently strode up behind her watching her struggle as she couldn't quite reach the top shelf.

"Oh, come on…" Camille mumbled to herself as she stretched trying to set a small jar on the tall shelf.

"Would you like some help with that?"

"Ahh!" Camille started nearly dropping the jar before spinning around and coming face to face with Vlad. "Vlad Masters, you, y-you-!" The woman stammered in anger while Vlad started to laugh.

"I'm sorry my dear, did I startle you?" Vlad chuckled.

"Startle nothing!" Camille cried. "I think I need to restart my heart."

Vlad chuckled a bit more. "I'm sorry Camille. Here let me get that for you." Generously the billionaire took the jar from her easily placing it on the desired shelf. "There, no harm done."

"Not yet anyway." Camille said suspiciously walking over to another shelf. "But seeing as you're here again so soon I take it the spell was not to your liking hmmm?"

"Oh no, quite the contrary." The half ghost replied smoothly. "Your spell worked perfectly, after I drank it I was able to give some of my essence to Daniel, the boy I spoke to you about, and within a day he came running to me." The finely dressed gentleman stated, pure satisfaction dripping off his words.

"I see." Camille replied evenly. "To what do I owe the pleasure then of this visit from you Mr. Masters?"

"Oh please, call me Vlad." The silver haired devil replied in his most charming accent. "There's no need for the two of us to be so formal is there?"

Camille felt the tiniest hint of a blush touch her cheeks but remembering who she was talking to quickly composed herself. She had to remain professional after all.

"I'm glad to hear you're satisfied with the spell," Camille said politely as she read the labels on a few vials. "But keep in mind what the final product may be." Her tone changed slowly as if giving a subtle warning. Turning to Vlad she looked him in the eyes, her jade eyes piercing. "You haven't forgotten what some of the '_side effects_' may be, have you?"

"Of course not." Vlad reassured. "But I've kept a close eye on the boy and Daniel doesn't seem to be suffering from any '_side effects_'." From the man's indifferent tone it was hard to tell whether he was pleased or upset about this news.

"I was referring to _you_ Vladimir." The shop keeper replied matter-of-factly, secretly enjoying how the man's name rolled off her tongue. Vlad's eyes widened, not missing the bold statement but made no move to rebuke the woman. "The spell does affect _both_ participants after all," Camille went on stopping her work for a moment to give the halfa her full attention. "But this is merely the second day and the spell will only continue to grow stronger, especially when the boy is close to you. Speaking of which," Camille paused, her bright cat-like eyes turning questioning. "Where is the boy right now? Didn't he come to see you today?"

"He did." Vlad replied, happy demeanor returning instantly. "In fact he's waiting for me just outside your shop as we speak."

"_WHAT? !"_

**XXX Cut Short XXX**

**This chapter was meant to be longer, at least until Vlad and Danny got out of Down World, but I felt I had to stop here. Mostly because I feel terrible about keeping you waiting… Sorry…**

**This chapter will be continued though as soon as possible and I hope it was just enough to satisfy while still providing a fairly decent cliff-hanger.**

**Hope you still enjoyed though and will stay in touch to find out what happens. There's more Danny and Vlad action on the way!**

**Also, please leave me some good comments. I feel I need the encouragement right now… **

**I've been reading a ton of books from Frankenstein to Oliver Twist, to one hour fast-pace novels all to improve my writing and consequently it's been cutting into my writing time. I'm also still, STILL, jobless…**

**Yeah my job searching hasn't been going well and I am eagerly looking forward to the time when I get paid for my writing. *sighs* But I'm not about to give up! Which means I will continue doing my best here on Fanfiction!**

***throws cookies to everyone* And for all you writers and dreamers out there, don't give up! I'm rooting for YOU!**


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